THE OPENING of sections of the Berlin Wall on the night of 9 November 1989 was in many respects the symbolic ending of the rule of Erich Honecker, the builder of the wall. In fact, Honecker had been overthrown 22 days earlier on 18 October. His fall as General Secretary of the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) of East Germany was the result of a Soviet-sanctioned coup. This coup had been organised by his crown prince and security secretary, Egon Krenz, Minister of State Security, Erich Mielke, the Berlin party secretary, Guenter Schabowski, and some others.
It was very similar to the way Honecker, then secretary for security, had overthrown his own mentor, Walter Ulbricht, in 1971.
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